Observer Corps Report
Jefferson County Commission

The Jefferson County Commission approved a resolution to void its commitment to the BJCC Authority to finance expansion (that is, a domed stadium) unless the BJCCA secures the necessary funding from the City of Birmingham and State of Alabama by January 1, 2005. Commissioner Langford proposed a smaller stadium be built where the abandoned Sears building is now located.

County funds of $250,000 from fiscal year 2004 were approved to pay the public relations firm contract and $200,000 was pledged to the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Foundation.

The Sewer Extension & Expansion Policy carried forward from July was approved at the November 9 meeting. An interesting side note to this is the FBI search of Jack Swann’s home a few weeks earlier. Jack Swann is director of Jefferson County Environmental Services and was the county’s sewer program manager for several years. Search warrants were also served at Roland Pugh Construction in Bessemer. This firm has received a lot of sewer contracts in the last few years and has also done work on Mr. Swann’s residence.

Though not mentioned in the commission meetings, Sheriff Mike Hale has ordered that no cars with sheriff’s markings be parked in front of Commissioner Smoot’s residence without his permission. Ms. Smoot’s office had arranged for four county-owned vehicles (three marked sheriff cars and an out-of-service detective sedan) to be parked outside her Southside home since September. A county resident filed a complaint with the Sheriff’s Department that she was misusing public property. Smoot’s office said the vehicles were placed there in response to threats she has received.